1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mazes and maze-like configurations. In one maze according to the present invention a ball or marble is moved from a first point to a second point through a predesigned maze path.
2. Description of Related Art
Ancient mazes were built as antechambers to the pyramids. These maze paths produced a very difficult pathway for intruders to invade the holy resting place of a king or high official inferred within. More recently, scientists have used mazes to study the behavior of animals.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,731 discloses a puzzle maze with movable partitions which slide in and out on tracks in a base plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,054 discloses a maze puzzle cubicle with nontransparent walls and a pair of transparent windows. A ball is moved from a start window, through an unseen maze path within the cubicle, to an exit window. In one aspect all the walls are transparent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,036 discloses a multi-level maze toy formed of nine kinds of single cube maze elements with passageways through them for a ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,174 discloses a maze puzzle with a ball that moves through a labyrinthine maze path which is obscured by an opaque screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,181 discloses a toy with a plurality of paths for a plurality of balls with interconnected lamps indicating stages in an effort to move the balls through the paths.